Istanbul Public Transport Guide: How to Use Istanbulkart (2026)

Istanbul Public Transport Guide: How to Use Istanbulkart Quick Answer: Buy an Istanbulkart from any red vending machine at metro, tram or ferry stations (card costs ₺130 as of 2026, empty). Load credit at the same machine with cash or contactless card, then tap on every metro, tram, bus, ferry, Marmaray, Metrobus and funicular. A single ride is around ₺27 and transfers within 2 hours are heavily discounted. One card can pay for multiple travelers on the same tap. Live Istanbul public transport fares (23 August 2026) Quick answer: a single ride on Istanbul's metro, tram, bus, metrobüs, funicular or Marmaray with an anonymous İstanbulkart costs 46,20 ₺ . The table below is pulled straight from the Metro İstanbul (İBB) official fare tariff and re-synced automatically every month, so it never goes stale after a fare rise. Anonymous Istanbulkart (pay per ride) Fare type Price (Turkish lira) Full Fare 46,20 ₺ Student Card 22,55 ₺ Students Who Have Reached the Age of 30 41,58 ₺ Social 33,08 ₺ Mavi Kart (monthly unlimited-style pass) Fare type Price (Turkish lira) Full Fare/180 Usage 3.628 ₺ Student/200 Usage 653 ₺ Students Who Have Reached the Age of 30 3.265 ₺ Social/200 Usage 2.256 ₺ Limited-use electronic ticket Fare type Price (Turkish lira) 1 Pass Card 65 ₺ 2 Passes Card 120 ₺ 3 Passes Card 185 ₺ 4 Passes Card 175 ₺ 5 Passes Card 275 ₺ 10 Passes Card 530 ₺ What visitors actually need to know Buy one İstanbulkart per person at any airport or station kiosk, then load lira credit. The card itself is charged separately from your rides. Transfers are discounted. Within 120 minutes of your first tap, each following transfer costs less than a fresh full fare — so metro → tram → ferry chains are cheap. Ferries, funiculars and Marmaray all take the same card. There is no separate ticket for the Bosphorus commuter ferries. The Mavi Kart monthly pass only makes sense for residents ; short-stay visitors are almost always better off with pay-per-ride credit. Airport lines cost mor